The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-02-24
The White River Disaster,

The board Of Railroad Commissioners
has made thorough examination OF the
White River accident aud we copy below
the most important portions Of their con /.
illusions.
| The board finds that the running OF this
train was properly managed on the part Of
all concerned therein, II WAS properly
SLOWED no a. it came near the curve and
bridye The rules rqnire speed OF not
exceeding fifteen miles per hour when
runhing upon aud over bridges. The
speed here MAS considerably within the
rule
The brakes were gradually let Oh and of
at The pfuppr poiuts. The opening Of the
throttle aud pulling pant OF the train
away from the falling ears by the engineer
after biz disc,ysry Of tue situation is ap
proved
Tie iiats oi the men to save all that
could bu sss.d aud their mauner of doing
it Is commended The Efforts Of he rail-
road fiirials ana tb,ir employees in the
care Of the injured and Of the remains Of
the dead for Identification by relatives and
friends as well As the services rendered by
the authorities OF the town, who organized
local assistance for them in the work OF
humanity. have resulted in the Identified
tion and delivery to their friends OF ell OF
the dead and oil but six OF the wounded
have been sent TO their homes These are
being cared for by the company and all
are expected TO recover save one and there
is hope for him.
The board finds that the derailment and
accident were caused by the breaking OF
the rail at the defective point above de
scribed - that the breaking OF this rail or
the next one beyond it caused the break
ing Of the central journal Of the forward
truck OF the sleeper Pilgrim" in some
way unknown to the board. but probably
from the throwing Of some portion OF one
OF the broken rails violently against il, the
btu VI Tue hteti 1911 inucutiB 'ue WiouBhs
IRON journal, straiuing and swapping it in
Its frosty state; that thereupon the inte-
rior wheels Of fbis truck began TO run IT.
regularly aud to crowd out the iun,r rail
OF the curve aud TO strike the sl,epers
when the broken ends OF it's iournsl and
to sbrase aud indent tue left hand rail 10
the manner indicated until coming TO the
ties OF the bridge, with deep openings be-
tween them, the cars was thrown from the
bridge to the right and those that went
down to the front Of IL we're dragged of
the bridge 10 succession by the strong
Miller coupling that bound the train TO
geiber
That the opening OF the throttle OF the
locomotive by the engineer as be saw the
rear OF the train falling, detached the
mail car from The rest OF the train behind
il aud saved the remainder OF the train
from wrecking.
The board regards Il due to the corpora
ton Ms well as 10 the public, to state slso
that from the evidence before II. II APP
pears, and the board finds that the defect
IN the rail which caused the dersilment
vas Of such character that II could not
lie detected until disclosed by the break
log Of the iron.
Upon The subject OF recommendation
the board are 1ot yet prepared TO report
fully. There ia no ground of doubt tbst
many who persisted In this accident would
have been released from the wreck alive
had il no, been Tor the stove fires aud oil
lamps which ignited the vsrDish. paint,
draperies and other co,nbussible material,
almost ~ soon ~ the crash came, and
caused The sueocaiion and burning oil those
~bo were pinioned beneath the rubbish
before they could sll be eItneaied
Passenger cars must lie heated 10 some
ether wsy 10 our lslitude or winter travel
mus, cease. How can this Re done with
the minimum OF danger 10 lie in case Of
xfecki
l, 10 slresdy the belief Of the board that
The iuirodaction Of steam beating and
electric lighting Of cars IL not LIKELY 70 be
d nch longer deferred. although their
sdopslon Ia sny knovn methods II present
e.isiips srs cot ansttsnd@d with danger 1
Ia o~rs1ia elsssss Of accidents.
-
Dr.. Ssih Arrold's Sugar Coated Pills
-. =. 4. =, III s,r.es snd nader All etfrum-